Every street of Kabul is enthralling to the eye
Through the bazaars, caravans of Egypt pass
One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
And the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls
Two powerful themes rise from this book. Sometimes the difficulties of the present can become the pleasant remembrances of the future; live in the moment. And there is intense power in a relationship (loving and being loved) to transform a life.
She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who loved and been loved back. She was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last.
Through Hosseini's combination of dense and eloquent prose, I am transformed to another country, another culture, a world I sometimes scarce believe is the same one I live in. Though it's not a political book, the engrossing and transforming story serves a sobering reminder that the other end of the "shock and awe" on my TV screen is the rubble of a ripped apart family and the screams of an orphan.
But far more powerful than that, as I find comfort in the Koran alongside Mariam, weep with Laila on the floor, cradle Aziza with the fiery (but powerless) protection of a parent, and feel the blessing of Allah in the gentle touch of someone who knows the truth and loves me anyway, I realize our sameness. Mariam and Laila are my sisters.
Ultimately, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is not hemmed in by geopolitical or cross-cultural themes. It is a stirring and skillful story about life.
Though there had been moments of beauty in it, she knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her. But as she walked the final twenty paces, she could not help but wish for more of it.
8 comments:
I was, and still remain, speechless after reading this book. Thank you for putting into words what I have not been able to. Yes, I feel deep sisterhood with these women, not just the characters in the book, but the women who are currently living out this story in the Middle East.
Excellent review of a book I can't wait to read. I loved "kite runner." I am afraid that your review may have offered just a bit too much info at the end, "as she walked the last...." If I am wrong I don't want to know, but just thought I would point that out to you. Otherwise, a very thoughtful and eloquent review. Now I hope the book can live up to my high expectations.
I am very sensitive to spoilers, so I carefully considered the quote before including. But you don't know who "she" is and you don't know the time frame. Since you've read "Kite Runner," you are familiar with Hosseini's unpredictable time lines. For one aspect of plot resolution he may make you wait the entire book, but then again he may simply drop a "it was the last time she ever saw him" right in the middle of the story.
In my review, I did not compare this book with "Kite Runner" because I found the books very different. I suspect that was partly intentional and partly because of the complete differences in a man's life and a woman's life in their culture. So while they are different, I will say that I believe this book exceeds "Kite Runner."
If only I had time to read a book. I would love to read these. I should just make the time because really Knight Rider is not improving my brain functions or compassion for people.
Sounds fascinating! I hope I have an opportunity to read it. You might enjoy a book called "The Ends of the Earth" by a journalist named Robert D. Kaplan, who travels around the world reporting what he finds. His descriptions are vivid and colorful, but at times disturbing. His stops include parts of West Africa, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. The only thing I didn't like about the book that I can remember is his constant return to the concern of overpopulation, which he uses as a scapegoat for the problems in these countries. I agree that there is a lack of resources to meet the needs of the rapidly growing numbers of people in these regions, but I prefer to see it as a lack of resources and over-urbanization rather than overpopulation.
Oh yeah, he also addressed deforestation as a contributor. The book I mentioned is a little dated, but still enlightening.
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